


Behind the Wall

by LightLeadingMe



Category: Will & Grace
Genre: Abuse, Alternate Universe, Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Domestic Violence, F/M, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Past Rape/Non-con, Rape/Non-con Elements
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-29
Updated: 2018-09-27
Packaged: 2019-05-30 03:35:46
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,942
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15088139
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LightLeadingMe/pseuds/LightLeadingMe
Summary: AU - Jack finds out Karen is being beaten by Stan. How can he save her?(Set during season 2 when Jack is married to Rosario and living with Karen. Everything is canon except for Karen's marriage.)





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I live for angst man....

Jack entered the room he shared with his El Salvadorian wife after brushing his teeth and turned out the lights on his way to the bed. He kicked off his bunny slippers and pulled back the covers, getting in under the scratchy blankets. Just as he settled himself back against the pillows he heard the sound of a loud thump on the floor above him and a shrill cry. He frowned, but he felt Rosario tense up beside him. He glanced over at her and opened his mouth to speak, but then he heard another dull thump and the sound of a man shouting.

"Rosie, what was that?" he asked, his heart beat running rapid in his chest.

The maid just stared at him, her silence confirming that it was exactly what he thought. He jumped out of the bed and rushed to the door of their bedroom.

"Jack, you shouldn't-" she tried, but he was already running down the corridor towards the east wing of the manse. Rosario sighed and laid back on the bed, sending up a silent prayer for her boss and her legal husband.

Jack was practically running towards Karen's bedroom, the sounds of screaming and echoes of smacks growing louder the closer he got. He reached the door and burst inside without even thinking. The sight before him brought immediate tears to his eyes. Karen was being held up by her hair, her face contorted in pain, her hands gripping tightly to the large arm of Stanley Walker as he yelled nonsense at her. She wasn't fighting back or saying anything, her eyes were staring into the face of her husband as he spat in her face.

"K-Kare?" he breathed out. His voice was barely above a whisper, but they both heard him. Stanley's head whipped around and his dark eyes glared.

"Jackie," Karen gasped, her eyes pleading. "You need to go-"

"What the hell are you doing in here?!" Stanley bellowed and Jack took a step back in fright. The large man let go of his wife, shoving her back. She hit the wall with a dull thud, but quickly regained her bearings and rushed between Jack and Stan.

"Jack," she rasped. "I'm fine, you need to go."

Shaking his head in disbelief, Jack kept his eyes locked on the angry face of Stan. "I'm not leaving without you."

"Oh really?" Stanley let out a loud rumbled of laughter causing Jack and Karen to both flinch. "I've got news for you, queer boy. She's _my_ wife and she's not going anywhere."

"But-"

"GET OUT!" Stan screamed and Jack jumped, taking a few steps back. He didn't want to leave her, afraid of what more Stan could do. Her cheek was a deep red and he could see the beginnings of a bruise forming by her eye. He needed to save her.

"I'm okay," Karen repeated, noticing his reluctance. "Please, Jackie..."

Tears fell down Jack's cheeks and it was that moment that he realized Karen wasn't crying at all. He finally left the bedroom, glancing back just in time to see Stan grab Karen by the arm and yank her back to him.

"What the hell was he doing here?" He heard the man yell and then another slap echoed. He sunk down to the floor in the hall, his body shaking as he heard his best friend cry out from pain as her husband beat her. "ANSWER ME!"

"I don't know!" she sobbed.

"Are you _crying_?" he questioned, his voice rumbling with more anger than before. "You better not be crying, Karen. You know what happens when you cry."

"No... _NO_!"

Jack scrambled off the floor and took off back towards his bedroom, running as far away as he could from the screams of his best friend. When he made it back to the room, he was out of breath and shaking with sobs. Rosario got out of the bed and walked over to him, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder. It took a few minutes, but Jack finally calmed down and he looked at Rosie with bloodshot eyes. "We need to call the police. I need to-"

"I've tried," Rosario cut in with a shake of her head. "Mr. Stan knows everyone in this city. He has connections and no one will help Miss Karen."

Jack gulped, wiping his face with the sleeve of his button up pajama shirt. He lifted his eyes to the ceiling, noticing there were no sounds coming from the rest of the house. "Did he stop? Is she okay?"

Rosario sighed and made her way back to the bed, pulling the covers over herself. "He might have. As long as she wasn't crying she'll be okay."

"But," Jack's eyes widened and he sat on the edge of the bed. "Right before I came back here, I heard her crying..." Rosario's eyes widened and Jack felt his chest suddenly constrict in pain. "... What happens if she cries, Rosie?" he asked. "What does he do to her?"

* * *

 

"Stan, please!" Karen cried. "Let me pleasure you! Let me-"

"Oh you will," Stan growled, pushing her nightgown up her hips and yanking her underwear right off her body.

Karen's body trembled, knowing what was coming. "I'm sorry I cried! I stopped! I won't do it again, please!" she tried again, but her husband just shook his head.

"You don't do emotions, Karen. You don't cry." He shoved down his pants and grabbed her by the hips, pulling her roughly to his large body. "And what happens when you do cry?" She didn't answer and he got frustrated, slapping her across the face again. "What happens when you cry, Karen!"

Karen squeezed her eyes shut, the stinging of her cheek causing more tears to pool in her eyes, but she held them back. "I get punished."

"And why do you get punished?" 

"Because I'm weak."

Stan smirked and then forced himself inside of her. 

Karen lay there, completely still, her eyes staring at the painting of herself on the wall as her husband raped her. It only lasted a few minutes, but to Karen it felt like hours. When he finished, he shoved her aside and then promptly fell asleep, snoring loudly into his pillow. Karen kept her eyes fixated on the painting, remembering the delight and excitement on her face when Stan gifted it to her on their first anniversary. She remembered the happiness and the good times they used to have. But then he became distant with her, always working, and then excessively drinking. She wasn't one to judge, she drank and popped pills like they were candy, but Stanley became violent when he drank. 

He only started beating her a year ago, not too long before Karen had her meeting with Will about possibly divorcing him, and she quickly learned the rules when he decided she need to be punished. She was to keep her eyes on him, listen to what he was telling her, sometimes making her repeat it back to him, and never cry. Crying was weak and Stanley Walker would not stand to have a wife who was weak and pathetic. 

Her thoughts drifted to Jack and she felt the tears well up quickly, shame filling her body. No one except for Rosario knew about the beatings. Stan always made sure the kids were out of the house when he went on a drinking binge - he already hated that Karen was mostly drunk around them, but at least she was functional. And now Jack, her best friend, her Poodle, knew that all the power she possessed around their little group of friends was meaningless and fake.

She turned on to her side and curled herself into a ball, grabbing a nearby pillow and pushing her face into it as sobs wracked her tiny, battered body. 


	2. Chapter 2

Jack woke up to the feeling of someone shaking him gently. He startled and sat up, almost knocking heads with Rosario. "What's going on?!"

Rosario patted his shoulder to calm him. "Mr. Stan just left for a business trip. Miss Karen is in her room."

Jack stared up at Rosario for a blank moment before the realization dawned on him and memories of the night before flooded his mind with full force. He jumped out of the bed like a bat out of hell and ran to Karen's room. Instead of bursting in like he did previously, he crept in, peering about the room for any sign of Stanley. When he affirmed that Rosario was correct in him leaving, he entered the room and stepped up to the large bed to find his best friend curled into a ball, clutching a pillow to her chest. He saw the dried tear stains and the markings of bruises over her body. Her nightgown was barely covering her and Jack noted that it was partially torn from Stan's demanding hands. He sat down on the edge of the bed and gently placed his palm on her cheek, his thumb brushing over one of the many bruises there.

Karen flinched beneath his touch and her eyes fluttered open. She quickly glanced around the room and Jack bit his lip as he realized she was looking for Stanley.

"Rosie told me he left for a business trip," he informed her and he watched as her body visibly relaxed.

She frowned as she gazed up at Jack, her eyes concerned as she caught sight of tears littering his face. She sat up, her body screaming at her, but she ignored it, used to the pain by this point. She crawled into Jack's lap, much like a small child would, and grabbed his face in her hands, pressing her forehead to his. Jack kept one hand on her lower back, the other on her bare thigh, afraid to touch her anywhere else and he sniffled. 

"I'm okay, Jackie," she repeated her words from the night before. "Please don't tell."

Jack let out a choked sob. "You're not okay, Kare," he whimpered. "This is _not_ okay."

Karen reached up and pressed her lips to his forehead and then guided his head to her chest where he openly sobbed against her. "Ssshh, it's okay, baby," she whispered. She laid back against the mattress, bringing Jack with her and they molded their bodies together. Jack took comfort in the feeling of her chest rising and falling beneath him and Karen took comfort in the warmth of gentle arms encircling her. They silently cried together until exhaustion took over and they fell into a restless sleep.

 When Jack woke a few hours later, he found the bed empty. He frowned, rubbing the sleep from his eyes and sat up, his eyes searching for Karen. He heard some muffled movements from the bathroom and he stood up, shuffling over to the door. He opened it slowly and looked in to see Karen at the mirror over the sink, applying makeup. Jack walked into the room and watched silently for a moment. She was fully dressed, seeming to have just taken a shower. Her movements were slow and steady as she worked on powdering her face, minding the painful blemishes. 

"Kare," he spoke up and she jumped in fright, dropping her foundation with a clatter, powder going everywhere.

"Jackie," she breathed out, looking over her shoulder. "You scared me."

"Sorry," he mumbled, his eyes downcast for a moment as she gathered her makeup together again. "But we need to talk about this."

Karen cleared her throat, opening her mascara. "About what, honey?"

Jack stared at her, clenching his jaw. "You need to leave him, Karen."

He watched her fumble with the tube of mascara, almost sweeping it across her cheek, her hands trembling. "W-what?" she let out a nervous chuckle. "You're crazy, Jackie. Everything is fine."

Jack grew impatient and stalked over to her quickly. He yanked the mascara from her hands and turned her towards him, lifting her blouse to reveal the marks of angry fists and rough hands. "This is not okay, Karen!" he said bitterly. He saw the immediate cold glare of her eyes the second he touched her and he gulped audibly. It was the same look she was giving Stanley as he screamed in her face last night; a dead, icy stare. Jack's face softened and he grabbed her hands slowly. "Kare, look at me."

"I am looking at you." Distant, monotone, and bleak. She was miles away, probably in the place she went to avoid her emotions when Stan beat her.

"No," he put his forehead to hers, much like she did earlier, and tried to bring her back. "It's Poodle, Kare." He raised her hands to rest them on his chest and then wrapped his arms around her back, pressing her to him. " _And I don't understand why sleep all day_..." he began to sing to her softly, hoping to draw her attention to him, knowing that she loved his singing voice. " _And I start to complain that there's no rain_ , _and all I can do is read a book to stay awake_ , _and it rips my life away but it's a great escape_..."

Karen began to blink rapidly and her eyes finally focused on him, the green hazel locking on to ocean blue. "Jackie," she whispered. 

"Where did you go?" he asked, swaying with her in his arms.

Karen licked her lips and deflated, her fingers playing absently with the collar of his pajama shirt. "I- I have to block everything out, feel nothing, or-or else he..."

Jack felt his heart breaking in his chest. "Or else he what, Kare?"

Karen stared right into his pained eyes, fresh tears gathering in her own. "He doesn't like it when I show emotion. I'm weak and I get punished."

Jack shook his head and felt tears splatter down his face, mirroring hers. "You're not weak, Karen," he told her. "You are the strongest woman I know-"

"No, I'm not!" She pushed him away from her and Jack gawked in shock at her outburst. Karen angrily wiped the tears from her face, smearing her newly applied makeup. "I'm _nothing_ , Jack! Okay? There's nothing wrong with my marriage. Stanley just gets upset with me sometimes when he drinks and- and it's my fault, really. I say stupid things sometimes and I need to be put in my place-"

"Karen!" he exclaimed, enraged by her obvious brainwashing. " _No one_ deserves to be beaten and raped!" Those words seemed to leave her at a loss, her mouth clamped shut and her face etched with pain. Jack rushed forward and held her hands again, his voice softer. "You are not weak," he repeated. "You're my best friend and in my eyes for two years you have been strong, independent, and admirable. You cannot tell me all of that was an act, Karen." He shook his head and brushed his thumb against her cheek, seeing a purple bruise that was now visible from her smeared makeup. "That confidence and beautiful personality that I personally have fallen in love with are _you_ \- not a facade, but the real Karen. And she doesn't get pushed around by anyone."

Karen swallowed, her lip trembling. "I'm fine, Jack," she echoed. "He's okay most of the time- it's just when he drinks-"

"And what if eventually it doesn't only happen when he drinks?" He countered. "I will not lose my best friend to some fat ass loser who doesn't know how to treat the goddess he's married to!"

Despite it all, Karen let out a small laugh. She raised Jack's hand to her lips and pressed kisses to it. "I'm hearing what you're saying, honey. And I love you for it, I really do..."

Jack squinted his eyes at her, not liking where this was going. "...but?"

Karen sighed, looking to their feet. It was a minute before she responded, seeming to gather her thoughts. "Just give me some time, okay?" She looked back up at him pleadingly. "Let me work on this myself."

He didn't like the idea, but he nodded in relent. He stepped forward and leaned down, pressing his lips delicately to hers in a gentle peck before wrapping his arms around her waist. "I'll let you work on it, Kare. I won't intervene," he told her, his breath warm on her ear. "But if I hear or see him lay another hand on you I _will_ kill him."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am flying by the seat of my pants with this one - I almost stopped it in this chapter, but then I remembered an idea I had weeks ago and now I have to get it to a point where I can use that idea which means more chapters than originally intended!


	3. Chapter 3

Jack walked down the stairs in the manse towards the kitchen, feeling his stomach grumble in the early morning. He didn't usually wake up before 9am, but he knew Stan came home last night from his trip and he didn't want to leave him alone with Karen for too long. As he neared the kitchen, he heard voices wafting up the staircase and he faltered in his footsteps, recognizing the sound of Stan and Karen arguing.

"Damn it, Stanley," Karen hissed. "You just got back less than ten hours ago and you're leaving again?"

"Karen, please try to understand..." Stan sighed in exasperation. 

"I can't understand!" Karen exclaimed. Jack took one more step down and peered his head around the corner to see Karen pacing back and forth while Stan sat at the table with a newspaper in one hand and his fork in the other. "Why can't you send someone else?"

"I'm the face of the company, dear," Stan reminded her, setting the newspaper down. "It's Walker Inc."

"We have board members, lawyers-"

"Karen."

"Send one of them!"

"It's not that simple!" Stan raised his voice and Jack could see the anger beginning to rise in his face. Karen continued to pace on, not noticing the tone in her husband's voice.

"Yes, it is!" Karen whipped around, but then stopped when she saw Stanley rise out of his chair. Realizing what she said, she clamped her mouth shut and kept her eyes on his, hoping she didn't go too far this time.

"Excuse me," Stan began in a deep, angry voice. "Are you trying to tell me how to run my own goddamn business?"

Karen stayed quiet, knowing it was a rhetorical question and if she dared to answer she would get in trouble. Jack contemplated finishing his trek down the stairs, but he also remembered Karen telling him to let her figure her rocky marriage out. He blamed himself for how far the other night went, knowing that Karen wouldn't have gotten so upset if Jack didn't see her like that. He convinced himself that at least being near in case things did take a turn would be better than running back to his room like he did the other night.

"If I recall," Stan continued, pressing himself to Karen menacingly. "You are my wife, Karen. Not my business partner, my _wife_. Hell, if it weren't for me you would still be out on the streets." He let out a humorless chuckle and leaned down close to her face, his eyes boring into hers. "So do _not_ tell me what I should or should not do when it comes to my company. Got it?"

She nodded quickly, biting her lip as she held her breath. Stan leaned closer and Karen flinched, expecting some sort of pain, but instead he kissed her sweetly. Karen sighed into his mouth and kissed her husband back, wrapping her arms around his neck. Jack watched on in shock and mild disgust as Stan grabbed a hold of Karen's rear end, lifting her on to the counter, deepening the liplock. He was being gentle and careful with her, a complete opposite of how he was less than a week ago. 

"Karen," Stan mumbled against her mouth, trying to get her attention, but she didn't listen. She pressed herself closer to him, wrapping her legs around his waist as best she could, moaning as their tongues tangled. "Kare," he tried again, a smile peeking through. "I have to go, sweetie."

Karen groaned in frustration and parted their lips. She held tightly to his neck and buried her nose in his shoulder, squeezing him to her. Jack watched in amazement as the couple showed such deep affection for each other, and he wracked his brain, trying to figure out if the other night was just a terrible dream. Hearing Karen gasp in pain, Jack paid closer attention and noticed Stan lifting Karen's nightgown over her hips and up to her stomach, revealing an array of bruises. He was quickly reminded that the other night did in fact happen. 

"Sweetie," he breathed out, his thumb tracing the many bruises littered among her abdomen. "You know this would all stop if you just behaved."

Karen nodded with a saddened, guilty look upon her face. Jack clenched his fists in anger, hating how much this monster of a man had brainwashed his best friend. "I'm sorry," she whispered. 

Stan kissed her one last time before stepping away from the counter. "I'll call you when I land," he said lovingly. 

"I love you," Karen called out, her voice somewhat meek. Stan blew a kiss her way and exited the kitchen, no doubt about to leave the manse. Jack suddenly felt nauseated, but he forced himself down the stairs just as Karen hopped off from the counter. She turned when she heard him and grinned happily. "Poodle!" she exclaimed. "You're up early."

Jack nodded and forced a smile on his face. "Yeah, I couldn't sleep any longer. I kinda got used to sleeping next to you the past few nights." He watched her smile falter and her eyes divert to the coffee maker where she suddenly decided she needed a cup. He cleared his throat and opened the fridge to search for something to eat. "So, where's Stan? Didn't he come home last night?"

Karen sat at the table, a mug of coffee filled with Bailey's in her hand. "Apparently he was just on a layover. He's going to London for a little bit." She didn't offer any more information and Jack didn't push. He sat down opposite her and filled up a bowl with cereal and milk. They sat in silence for a long while, Karen reading the paper Stan left behind and Jack watching her. After taking her final sip of coffee, she refolded the newspaper and stood from the table. Leaning down slightly, she pressed a delicate kiss to the top of Jack's head as she passed his chair. "I'm gonna go take a bath, honey."

"Can I come with you?"

Karen looked over her shoulder as he turned in his chair to stare at her, a dribble of milk leaking from the side of his mouth. She giggled and nodded her head, holding her hand out for him to take. 

* * *

 When they reached the bathroom, the bath was already prepared. Jack stared in amazement at the large tub, the bubbles almost spilling out of the top. Karen excused herself into the closet for a moment and when she returned she was dressed in only a robe, her hair perfectly pinned on top of her head. He watched her sit on the edge of the tub, dipping her fingers in to test the temperature and noticed the slight wince on her face when she leaned too far. He felt a new wave of anger and resentment for her husband rise up within him and suddenly he burst.

"You need to leave Stan."

Karen didn't even turn around. For a moment she didn't do anything at all, but then she let out a long sigh and she turned to stand up, facing him fully. "Jack, we went over this a few nights ago," she reminded him. "Please let me figure this out on my own."

"You know," he lightly scoffed, looking like he could cry at any given moment. "I was going to let this go. I was going to let you figure out your marriage, but this morning, after seeing you with him-"

"Wait a minute," she cut him off and stepped down from the platform the tub sat on. Her eyebrows furrowed and her expression changed to annoyance. "You were spying on me?"

Jack swallowed and twisted his fingers together nervously. "I wasn't spying on you, Karen. I was making sure you were okay. Stan came back last night and I wanted to make sure you wouldn't get hurt again."

"So you lied to me," she said, her voice filled with anger. "This morning in the kitchen, you knew Stan was leaving again and you flat out lied to me."

"Karen, that's not the point right now-" 

"Oh isn't it, though?" she exclaimed and Jack flinched. "You've been telling me for days that I need someone in my life that I can trust and who loves me for me... Yet, you openly admit to spying on me and then lie about it, and you don't see how fucked up that is?" 

"And you don't see how fucked up your marriage is?!" he exclaimed, feeling the tears finally spill over. "He has you so brainwashed, Karen, its sickening!" He took in a deep breath and wiped his face. "I didn't mean to spy, I apologize for that. And I'm sorry for not telling you that I knew he was there. But God, Karen... This isn't healthy. This isn't right!" His shoulders began to shake as a sob escaped. "You deserve so much, Karen. You deserve a loving husband, you deserve to be happy. You can't live your life in fear and I can't just sit around knowing that you're being abused!" 

Karen watched him break down in front of her, her own eyes brimming with tears. She reached out and grabbed him by the front of his pajama shirt and pulled him to her, his face immediately buried in her chest. Her arms came around his shoulders tightly and Jack held on to her waist as they cried together. She felt Jack's breathing become labored like he wasn't getting enough air into his lungs. He was having a full on panic attack in her arms. 

Karen pulled him away from her chest and held his cheeks in her hands as his eyes darted around the room, unable to focus. "Jack, baby, look at me."

"Kah- Kare-"

"Look at me," Karen demanded. "Focus on me, honey."

His knees gave out and he fell to the floor in front of her, but he kept his arms around her waist and pressed his nose to her stomach. His breathing finally went from rapid to deep and he felt the panic begin to subside. He stayed there, drying his tears on her soft robe, hiccuping every few seconds as he calmed down. Karen's fingers were absently running through his hair, soothing him silently with her touch. He pulled the belt of her robe open and tugged it down and off her shoulders, trailing his thumbs along her bruises, his touch ever so gentle, brinking on the edge of tickling. "Your body," he whispered, his lips brushing her skin as he spoke. "Is so precious and should be treated as such..." He glanced up and caught her eyes, immediately reading the affection she held for him in her green orbs. " _You_ are precious, Karebear."

"Jack," she breathed out, her palm resting on his cheek. 

Jack kissed her stomach, his lips brushing one of the bruises. He sat up straighter so he was now level with her breasts. "Does he ever touch you like this?" he whispered. He pressed his lips to one of her nipples and she gasped, her eyes fluttering slightly. "Does he worship your body like I do?" Karen swallowed and bit her lip, shaking her head slowly. Jack kissed his way up her body, standing from the floor. He kissed her chest and collarbone, up the side of her neck to her jaw. When he reached her temple he stayed still, his lips pressed to her hair, and they just breathed together. His thumbs caressed her hip bones and her hands clutched at his shirt, a silence enveloping them.

He felt her fingers begin to unbutton his shirt, her hands sliding in and pushing it off his shoulders. Jack raised his head and watched as she pulled his pants and underwear down his legs and then she stepped away from him, her hand held out for him to take. Jack laced his fingers with hers and together they stepped into the large tub. He sat against the back of the tub and expected Karen to lean against him, but instead she turned her body and pressed her chest to his, sliding her legs between his, her ear resting on his shoulder. Her warm breath on his neck tickled and Jack smiled, his arms wrapping around the small of her back, holding her in place. 

"Jackie," Karen spoke quietly. "Do you really think I could get out?"

Jack kissed her forehead affectionately, holding her even tighter to him. He glanced down and brushed his thumb over her cheek where the shadow of a bruise showed through her makeup. Karen tilted her head as he opened his mouth to answer, her eyes boring into his. "You, Karen Leigh Walker," he smiled warmly, "can do anything you set your mind to."

She looked conflicted for a moment and then a small smile finally broke out on her face. "I'll get the paperwork ready so when he comes back from London everything will be in order."

Jack felt a wave of relief flood his body and he did the only thing he could think of in that moment. He closed the small distance between them and captured her lips in a hard kiss. Karen smiled into his mouth and kissed him back, bringing her arms out of the water and wrapping them around his shoulders. Their mouths parted and briefly before connecting again, tongues beginning to tease at each other's lips. 

"Mmmm, Jack," Karen sighed into him. Her tongue brushed his and he moaned softly. She pulled back and rest her forehead against his. "No one worships me the way you do."

Jack took her bottom lip between his and flicked his tongue over her upper lip, eliciting a gasp from her. "That doesn't mean you shouldn't be worshiped by everyone." 

Karen grinned before their mouths came together again in a series of loving kisses. 


	4. Chapter 4

Today was the day. Jack felt like he was walking on cloud nine. He had an extra pep in every step he took, a smile on his face, a flutter in his stomach. He couldn't feel lighter than he did in that moment. He strolled down the stairs of the manse into the kitchen and felt his grin widen tenfold at the sight of Karen drinking her coffee at the table. Oh yes, today was definitely a good day because today was the day that Karen was going to ask Stanley for a divorce.

He leaned down and pressed a kiss to her forehead before he sat down beside her at the table. Rosario immediately came in the room and began preparing his cereal to which he lightly thanked her in her native tongue. When he was a few bites in he peered over the table to take in the look on his best friend's face. What he found was not pleasing and made his stomach drop. "Kare?"

Karen's fear stricken eyes glanced up and stared at him. "I can't do it, Jackie."

Jack's eyes widened and he dropped his spoon in the bowl, a loud clank sounding as the metal hit the porcelain and some milk splashing over the sides onto the oak table. "What do you mean you can't do it?" he asked, his voice deep with concern. "You have to do it, Karen."

She shook her head and it was at that movement that Jack noticed her entire body was actually trembling. "No, I can't. It's not what I want."

Jack stood up abruptly and began pacing the floor. "Yes it is!" he exclaimed. "Karen, for three weeks we have planned this all out. You got Will to draw up the papers, you talked to him for hours on end about the best way to approach this without actually revealing why you are divorcing Stan." He stopped in front of her and crossed his arms over his chest. "It's already done. Now you just need to tell him."

Karen's bottom lip trembled and she was just about to open her mouth when the commotion of Stan Walker arriving home from London stopped her. Jack's eyes locked on Karen's and they just sat in silence, listening as Mason and Olivia raced for their father to greet him back home. They heard chortle of laughter from Stan, the sound of paper ripping as his children opened whatever gift he brought back, the question he directed towards Rosario about where Karen was. Knowing he had to make himself scarce for Karen's sake, Jack squeezed her shoulder in reassurance and nodded down at her. 

"You can do this," he said before he disappeared up the stairs. 

Karen knew Jack wasn't too far, probably still on the staircase so he could listen. Everything in her body was telling her that Jack was right, that she couldn't keep living like this, that an abusive marriage was not what she, nor any woman for that matter, deserved. She believed Jack when he told her she was strong, she believed him when he said she was precious. Now she just had to prove it.

As Stan walked through the kitchen door, Olivia hanging off one arm while Mason hung on the other, Karen felt her entire body freeze and her heart skip a beat. The butterflies she felt the first time she met her husband came flying back at the sight of his loving smile and she felt her eyes well with tears, knowing she was about to put an end to twelve years of a relationship. Stan immediately saw the emotions in his wife's eyes and he lowered his children to the ground, telling them to run off so he could talk to Karen. When the children were gone and it was just the two of them, Stan's back straightened and his eyes never left Karen's face.

"Is everything okay?" he asked gently. "You usually greet me at the door."

Karen swallowed loud, hating how weak she felt in this moment. She needed to get this over with. Hand him the papers and move on. Did she even have to say anything? Was it an option to just take the documents from where they were stowed away in the junk drawer and hand them to her husband without a word? Was a few pieces of paper with some writing on it enough to say what she needed to say? Her voice failed her one too many times in the past so maybe her actions could speak louder. She took two steps back towards the drawer that seemed to be radiating some sort of heat and grabbed the handle, her eyes never leaving Stan's as she moved.

Stan seemed to be taking the silence pretty hard. He knew his wife was afraid of him and he didn't blame her for it at all. He had taken to drinking more and more the past few years and he knew his actions while under the influence were anything but acceptable. He sighed and let his shoulders drop, letting a sense of defeat wash over him. "Look, I've been wanting to talk to you, but I haven't found the right time. Between the company and the kids, I feel like I've lost myself and you in the process. I know it's my fault, I take full responsibility for it. But while I was in London I had some time to think about things, about the way I've been treating you, even when I'm not drinking..." He stepped forward and grabbed one of her hands, relieved that she didn't pull away. "I don't know when I lost who I was, but I do know that I want to try everything in my power to get him back. I've been sober for a week and a half now, Karen. I want to fix this. I was to fix us."

To say that Karen was in a state of shock would have been an understatement. Never in a million years did she expect Stan to be the one who came to her and confess his problems or even admit that he had problems in the first place. She felt elated, happy, and ready to begin their new journey as husband and wife. Before she could respond, she heard the sound of Jack's voice in her head, reminding her to be strong, be who she was inside, and do what she needed to do in order to be happy. She cleared her throat and straightened her spine. "While I'm relieved that you've finally come to your senses when it comes to your actions, I'm not sure I'm ready to move forward in the direction you expect me to go."

Stan audibly swallowed and nodded his head. "I'm willing to do whatever you need me to, Karen. I want us to be happy again."

Karen scoffed. "Happy," she repeated like the word was disgusting. "I gave up on happiness the first time you hit me."

He could feel her slipping away, he could sense it in every bone in his body. His wife was finally starting to stand up for herself after a year of him breaking her down. The guilt inside him twisted and made him wince, his turmoil beginning to take over. "I know you hate me, but I-"

" _Hate you_?" she shrieked. Karen let out a loud, humorless chuckle as she crossed her arms over her chest. "That's just it, Stanley! I don't hate you! I still love you!" She shook her head, feeling the sting of tears behind her eyes and she willed them with all the strength she had to stay at bay. "After all the beatings, the non-consensual sex, the spiteful words - I _still fucking love you_. Do you understand how hard that is? How screwed up I feel every day because I still love my drunk, abusive husband?"

Every word was like a knife to his heart and he brought his hands to his face, unsure of where to go from here. He couldn't think of anything more to say, knowing this was most likely a losing battle and the first step into the end of their marriage. Actually, he knew the first step into the end of their marriage was the first time he lay a hand on her, but this seemed to be the final nail in the coffin. "I love you, Karen," he whispered honestly. "I'm sorry for everything I've done. I know my words do not excuse or erase my actions, but I've never apologized before either. I told you I take full responsibility and I don't blame you for wanting to leave me."

"You still don't get it!" she screamed, throwing her hands up in the air. Stan frowned, confusion spreading over his features. "I don't want to leave you... But I feel like I have no choice!" The tears betrayed her and finally spilled over, but she stood her ground to make sure she said everything she needed to say. "Goddamnit, Stanley," she rasped, shaking her head. "I want you back. I want the man that I fell in love with twelve years ago back. I don't know where he went the past year, but I miss him. I didn't deserve to lose him."

Stan closed the distance between them and wrapped her in his warm embrace. His touch seemed to break her resolve and she began to openly cry into his shoulder, her hands clinging tight to his dress shirt. "You didn't deserve anything of this, Karen, you're right," he whispered. "And I don't deserve to have you..."

She lifted her head to look into his green eyes. "But you do have me." She wrapped her arms tighter around him and for a few minutes they just held each other, letting their thoughts and the events of the conversation settle.

When they finally pulled away, Stan kept his hands on her waist and Karen used her thumbs to wipe the stray tears from her husband's face with a gentle smile. "I still don't know what you want, Karen. Where do we go from here?"

She tilted her head and cleared her throat, letting him know she was dead serious about what she was going to say. "First, you stay sober. If it will help, when I'm home I won't drink... if you're here." Stan smirked down at her and she could help the wry smile that passed over her lips. "Second, we need counseling. You need help with your anger issues and I need help... well, if I'm honest, I need help with an array of things, but mostly you need to get your anger situated." He nodded at her in agreement, not finding the need to argue over the fact that he definitely had some anger management problems. "And third..." She let a grin peek out before she leaned up and kissed him deeply, pouring everything she had into it. When they parted, Stan almost looked dazed, as if it were the first time she ever kissed him. "We love each other."

Stan captured his wife's lips again in his own, shivering at the moan that vibrated from her mouth to his own. He didn't deserve any second chances from her, yet she was willing to give him one. "Deal," he said after they parted. They heard the sound of rumbling footsteps above him and smiled, knowing his kids were playing around the floor above him. "I should probably head up and unpack." He brought his eyes back to Karen and lifted an eyebrow. "Maybe we can all go out to lunch? As a family?"

Karen grinned and pecked his mouth. "I would love that, Mr. Walker."

Stan kissed her one more time before retreating to the foyer to retrieve his bags. Karen stared at the swinging kitchen door until it came to a complete stop and let out a deep breath, feeling the weight of the world on her shoulders lift up finally. Just as she took one step towards the staircase, she remembered that Jack was listening the entire time and that she didn't do what she was set out to do at all. She knew he would never understand her complicated relationship with Stan, but he put so much effort into making sure she was going to be okay and so much time into finding out how she could live her best life away from her abuser. She turned the corner and took the first few steps up and turned her head, expecting to see disappointed blue eyes staring back at her. 

The stairwell was empty.

* * *

It had been a week since he had seen her. A week since Stan came home. A week since Karen took him back, leaving that kitchen drawer closed with the divorce papers gathering dust on the inside. It was hard feat, too. Rosario lied for him most of the time, but other times he had to sneak his way around the house, even staying over at Will and Grace's a few nights. He wasn't trying to be petty or bitter, he was trying to process the whole situation. He was trying to make sense of all the things Karen said she was going to do and then ultimately just went into a completely opposite direction. He wanted to be happy, but right now all he could feel was concern. When he realized he wasn't actually angry with her like he initially thought, he decided it was time to finally face her and express his support. Hearing her worried voice every morning, asking Rosario where he was and then Rosario's lame excuse back was starting to get to him anyway. So he woke up exactly one week later and got himself ready to walk into Grace Adler Designs, his sights set on his best friend and his best friend only.

He walked through the door and greeted the redhead quickly before he spun around and locked his eyes on the dark haired beauty queen. Karen looked up at him in shock, surprised not only at his presence, but also at the look of determination in his eyes. She glanced behind him at Grace and then set her eyes back on Jack, a pleading look radiating from her. Jack smiled warmly and nodded his head, silently telling Karen he was not going to reveal anything as long as the designer was still in the room. 

And as if she could sense it, Grace decided to make an exit, claiming she had to pick up some fabric and get out of whatever "weird funk you two have going on right now". Normally, the pair would have teamed up and shouted something degrading about her clothes or hair as she left, but since they hadn't seen each other in a week, they stayed silent and just stared each other down, neither knowing who should speak first. The silence seemed to drag on forever and their eye contact remained for just as long. Jack had a lot he needed to say, a lot he wanted to tell her and concerns he needed to express, but at the moment, nothing was coming to mind. 

Karen was the one to break eye contact, her gaze dropping to her hands as her fingers fiddled in her lap. And when she spoke, Jack felt like the wind was knocked out of him from her words. "Do you hate me?"

His shoulders dropped and within seconds he had her in his arms, his knees protesting against the hard ground as he knelt in front of her. His hands rubbed her back and he swayed side to side as she let out a few heartbreaking sobs into his neck. It wasn't until he felt a tear fall down his chin that he realized he was crying as well. "I could never in a million years hate you, Bear."

She slowly sat up, her hands on his shoulders, peering into his eyes with uncertainty. "I couldn't do it, Jackie," she whispered. "I know you wanted me to, but-"

He shook his head and wiped a tear from under her eye. "I wanted you to do what you thought was best. I let my own beliefs and feelings get in the way and I pushed you to try to divorce him." He sighed, resting his forehead against hers. "I don't understand why you're still with him." He felt her tense in his arms and he squeezed her tighter, letting her know he wasn't going anywhere. "But I want you to be happy, Karen. And if this decision makes you happy then I am in full support."

Her body relaxed at his words and she leaned into kiss him, letting her appreciation shine as her lips brushed his. "I don't know what is going to happen," she said softly. "But I am so glad I have you by my side, Jack... For a while I thought I lost you."

Jack smiled and wrapped her in another hug, letting the feeling on content and peace wash over him. "You'll never get rid of me."

_I'm here to keep the peace_  
_Will the crowd disperse_  
_I think we all could use some sleep_


End file.
